Professional hair stylists and barbers typically utilize a shampoo basin or bowl for shampooing the hair of their patrons. The patron reclines in a chair such that the head of the patron is within the basin with the neck resting against the rim of the basin. Most shampoo basins include a neck-receiving notch, which is either a U-shaped or V-shaped configuration, to receive the patron's neck during shampooing or other hair treatment.
Typically, the basins are made of a hard porcelain, fiberglass, or another similar material which can cause considerable discomfort to a patron's neck when the patron is reclined during the shampooing operation. To alleviate this discomfort, several neck cushioning devices for use with shampoo basins have been proposed in the art.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,763,364 to Morgan discloses a neck cushioning device comprised of a cushion of resilient material coated with a flexible, water-repellent substance over the entire surface. The cushioning device is adapted to overlay a U-shaped neck-receiving notch typically found on commercial shampoo bowls. The cushioning device wraps laterally around the edges of the notch for engagement therewith by means of downwardly projecting walls, one of which includes a protruding lip that curls around the notch and secures the cushioning device to the bowl.
Another shampoo basin neck rest is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,949,407 to Singer et al. In this patent, the neck rest comprises a generally semi-cylindrical cushion made of a soft resilient material, such as neoprene, rubber, or plastic foam, with a thin coating of a waterproof and chemically resistant material. A flexible material is attached to the inner semi-cylindrical surface of the cushion and includes a plurality of small suction cups to secure the cushion to the basin.
Although the above-described neck cushioning devices alleviate some of the discomfort associated with shampooing or other hair treatment, several problems still exist with these and other prior support devices. For example, most of the previously proposed neck support designs do not readily conform to a variety of shampoo bowls, such as what are commonly referred to as U-shaped shampoo bowls or V-shaped shampoo bowls. Also, the thickness of many prior neck protection devices creates too much bulk in the neck area. Consequently, the necks of patrons do not properly fit within the neck support which can allow water to run down the back of a patron during shampooing.
While existing neck support devices have tried to include components for securing the support device to the basin, the shapes of many of these neck supports lend themselves to slippage during the shampoo process. Also, traditional neck supports fail to prevent water from being trapped in the support allowing bacteria to grow, thus making the support unsanitary. Finally, many neck supports only protect the base of the neck without giving total support to the neck.